the body of Jesus had lain." Yet again, while Jesus was talking with his disciples, having led them out as far as to Bethany, "while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight;" and then, "two men, i. e. angels, stood by them in white apparel," and announced to the wondering disciples, "This same Jesus, . . . shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." And from Psalm lxviii. 17, 18, part of which is quoted by Paul, Ephes. iv. 8, and applied to the ascension of Christ, it would appear that a mighty host of them accompanied him on this occasion. Yes, "Him they beheld our conquering God, And fell and kissed his bleeding feet." In I. Peter i. 12, angels are spoken of as desiring a fuller acquaintance with the subject of man's redemption, and in Luke xv. 10, as rejoicing over the repentance of a sinner, so also in Rev. vii. 11, 12, they are represented as taking up the ascription of the great multitude which no man can number, of "Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb," and saying, "Amen: blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.' Again, they are exhibited, in Heb. i. 14, as being particularly employed in ministering for the children of God. From Psa. xci. 11, 12, "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone," we learn that their mission sometimes has reference to the preservation of the children of God from physical danger. We find instances of angelic ministrations, among other places, in the case of Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 1; Dan. chap. vi. 22; and Peter, Acts xii. 7; and how often we have been the subject of angelic ministrations of this character, and have been preserved by them from danger, we can not tell. But we have reason to suppose that often their mission is of a spiritual character, and with reference to our souls. Now as we know but little of the laws by which the influence of mind upon mind is regulated, and especially of disembodied mind, we can of course know but little that is certain on this subject. The fact, however, appears established. Is the Devil as a roaring lion going about seeking whom he may devour, and are his emissaries engaged in similar employment? May not these angels be engaged in counteracting their influence? May they not act on our minds when we are unaware of it, and influence us to good? If we may suppose that some of the evil thoughts we deplore are the suggestions of Satan, may we not also suppose that some of our good thoughts are suggested by angels. So also there are well established instances, in which individuals have been about to take a certain course which would inevitably have involved them in danger; but without knowing why, they have been induced to alter their plan, and they have thus been preserved. Now it is quite right to attribute such deliverances to the providence of God, but may we not suppose that in such cases, he may have operated upon our minds by the ministrations of angels? From Psalm xxxiv. 7, and Matthew xviii. 10, some have supposed that each child of God has one being who may be called his guardian angel. We do not think, however, that these texts are intended to teach this doctrine, but that while the former teaches the general doctrine of angelic ministration, the latter declares that the youngest and feeblest of Christ's disciples are the subjects of it. In this article we have made no reference to "The Angel of the Lord," so often spoken of in the Old Testament, because we think that a consideration of Genesis xvi. 9, 10; xxii. 12; Exodus iii. 2, 4, 6, and other passages, will shew that he has divine attributes. From what has been said, it will be seen that whatever the character and position of angels, they are after all created beings, and are not in any sense the objects of our worship and adoration. Roman Catholics, in answer to the question, "May we desire the saints and angels to pray for us?'* may reply, "Yes, we may," and they may appeal to Luke xv. 10, to prove that angels can hear us; but when John, Rev. xix. 10, fell at the feet of one to worship him, he said, "See thou do it not, I am thy fellow-servant;" and again, when (Rev. xxii. 8,) he fell into a similar mistake, he was met with the same repulse and injunction. So that however we may rejoice in that God has so honored us as to make us the subjects of the ministrations of angels, our prayers must be addressed to God, and to God only, for all things come of him. He is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. He alone is the hearer and answerer of prayer. "There is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." ARTICLE III.-LONGFELLOW AS A POET. Pocket Edition of Longfellow's Poetical Works. Two Vol umes. The Courtship of Miles Standish. One Volume. Ticknor & Fields, Boston. 1858. WHATEVER may be the present state of the question,What is Poetry?" whether settled to the satisfaction of the critics, or still on the docket for discussion, one thing is undisputed,-poetical literature has an all-powerful influence in the formation of mind and character, shaping both for future moral development. The unfortunate Stout, recently executed in Rochester, acknowledged to Prof. Cutting, that the "poet of malignant passions was a chief agent in the perversion of his own character and life." The lovers of true religion, therefore, have a deep interest in the acknowledged leading poets of our land, and should be * "Abridgement of Christian Doctrine," published in London "by authority" of seven Roman Catholic Bishops. come well acquainted with the spirit and peculiarities of their productions, and especially should our more permanent periodicals watch their progress with vigilance, and be the exponents of their style and tendencies. Such carefulness is certainly quite as much demanded as the eager examination of a "Greek particle" or a "Hebrew root," or a learned disquisition on some of the nicer theological points which have divided the ripe scholars of the Christian Church. A little song or poem may do more to make or mar the beauty of our Zion, than all the learned questions put together; and while attention to the latter may interest the few, a proper presentation of the former will instruct and guide the many. It may be a question whether Prof. Longfellow is our greatest poet, but there is not a shadow of doubt that he has produced the greatest number of verses, and is read more than any other poetical writer of America, a fact which may justify the assumption, that he has the greatest present popularity, and consequently the widest influence whether for good or evil. The recent issue of his last production, "Miles Standish," which is having a "run," in booksellers' phrase, already amounting to more than thirty thousand volumes, renders this a fitting occasion to present the readers of the Christian Review with some insight into the tendencies of his writings, especially in their moral aspects, for which special claims have been put forth by his ardent admirers. But before going fully into the subject, it may be well, and preparatory to its proper understanding, to devote a few paragraphs to the prevailing elements of our literature, for each age has its literary types and hobbies. One boasts of its Eclogues and Pastorals; another abounds in sonnets and sentimentalism; while a third is rich with epics and tragedies. Now the tastes to be gratified will be as varied as the works produced, and thus one age is set in opposition to another, making a real "conflict of ages" in literature as well as in the aspects of theology. The current literature of the day is the product, in great measure, of a prostituted intellect, gathered up from the darkest scenes of human depravity, as though the au thors possessed the nature of those animals that seek their food only during the hours of midnight. It springs from a soil dank with moral putridity, or quite overgrown with the worthless products of French and German transplantings. There is some claim for originality, and it is readily admitted, for deformity is always original, while symmetry and beauty are resemblances of the perfect ideal. The bearded and bear women are originals, while the Apollo Belvidere and Greek Slave are imitations. Man was created in the "image of God," and he was perfect; but when he sinned he became an original, and his act, therefore, is very properly denominated "original sin." Genius creates not by an absolute production of something out of nothing, but by a combination of scattered beauties into a perfect resemblance-a unit of perfection. Deformity is always a whole -an isolated existence, but still "Creation's blot, creation's blank, Which none will love, and none will thank." A landscape, to please, must have all its parts presented harmoniously to the eye. The painter who should select only the vallies, because of their greenness, or the hills and crags for their boldness, though the part presented might be ever so perfect, would fail to please, because he would not represent nature. And the literature of the day fails from this want of congruity. The pictures may be life-like as far as they go, but the mind and imagination are satiated with kitchen scenes and prison tableaux; with pickpocket tactics and piratical heroism; with Jacob Faithfuls and Jack Sheppards, Little Katys and Little Nells, Lamplighters and Match Girls, etc., and we long for a peep once more at a scene where there are other accessories than poverty, pirates and loose virtue. These scenes may be more productive of themes which expand with greater ease into the volume of required size, as darkness generates and brings forth a crop of mushrooms in a single night more rapidly than many days of sunshine can bring forward the growing This is every whit true of the morbid literature now flooding the country. Nor have the higher walks of poetry corn. |